Marronnage (animals)

Degrees of marronnage

The escaped or slackened pets can form groups living out of the direct control of the man, but réalimentés by new recruits born at the domestic state. It is frequently the case of the dogs in urban area (Russia), or rural (wandering dogs).
Ces animal or their offspring can be again adopted by the man (Chat haret or Chien). There are thus exchanges in the two directions with the population domestique.
Dans the case of the Abeille S, swarming makes it possible bees of breeding to adopt a natural housing, and contrary, a bee-keeper can capture a swarm coming from a wild hive. Apart from the lines whose reproduction and selection are narrowly controlled, the wild and domestic bees of an area thus form only one population.

Certain species form wild populations resulting from pets, while keeping a great proximity with the man, like commensaux: it is the case of the pigeons biset of the cities. What does not exclude a colonization from anthropisés spaces (observed in particular in Great Britain for this species: pigeons of city resulting from pets are installed on cliffs in rural area).

The most typical case is that of populations living in spaces very little Anthropisé S, and whose bond with the man is reduced to possible captures or hunting. It is frequently the case of the horses, of the Chèvre S, and it is that of the Dromadaire S in Australia. That does not exclude that the captured animals are again high like pets.

Finally there are very old marronnages, which one lost the memory, the species being consequently often regarded as savage without restriction. The Corsican Mouflon for example was introduced on the island in a domestic state, as well as the Dingo in Australia (very strong probability).

Species and predispositions

The species for which the marronnage is most frequently observed, are in particular the Cheval: observed on the five continents, the Goat on many islands, in Australia, the Pig and the Cat (one uses for this species the expression Chat haret). These species seem to adapt without delay to the wild life. Certain species reveal thus in addition to the aptitude for the wild life preserved during the domestic period, the adaptation to the climates in which they are originating before their domestication: the Dromedary in Australia but also the ass in desert climate in this same country like in certain areas of the the United States like the valley of Dead the. It is also the case in tropical climate of the Pintade (to the the Caribbean) and of the hen; this one is observed inter alia in Florida, French Polynésie, with the Réunion, or Hawaii.

The marronnage having been observed at the majority of the domestic species, it is interesting to observe those for which it is rarer or impossible.

The population savages of Bœuf S are not exceptional, as on the island Amsterdam; they were very important in South America where on certain territories, the cattle preceded the éleveurs.
There are several maroon populations of Mouton, but one can observe at this species of the difficulties as the wool of the sheep which, not falling, can be awkward for the animals, to even prevent to them reproduction.
The success of the marronnage depends on the type of the animals (of Race S more or less rustic) but especially of the ecology of the medium where they are introduced (competitor, predatory…), this last parameter being often favorable on islands.

The Chien seems not to easily form populations really independent of the man, apart from the case of the Dingo which perhaps arrived to Australia at a degree of domestication less than that of the domestic dogs contemporains.
The organisms in charge of the control of the introduced species and invasive in Australia do not mention the Furet. This one did not form any notable wild population in this country of marronnage par excellence. It seems that there is mention of maroon pipe cleaners only in New Zealand, where this species is noted like invasive. It was introduced there deliberately for the control of the rabbit populations but, after attempts without success, the introduced animals resulted actually from hybridizations with the wild fitchet, which could even support to make possible to them marronnage.

There seems to be finally only one animal domestic species for which the marronnage would be impossible: the Silkworm.

The term seems seldom applied to the domesticated plant species, though the phenomenon also exists for some of them (see for example the Vigne marronne).

Perenniality

That a species is predisposed with the escape or not, that it appears very dependant on the man, the final criterion of the success of the marronnage is the perenniality of the formed populations. This one depends on their capacity to be established and to reproduce in the new environment. The durable populations marronnes are frequently observed after their introduction into areas where they find to them ecological Niche vacant, or occupied by indigenous species which seem less competitive. One then speaks about invasive species.

Nevertheless, the nonperennial marronnages do not leave by nature not a trace. The Pintade for example escapes easily; it does not form wild population in Europe.

The wild horses in the United States (mustang S) were maintained until now while the populations marronnes of cows which were important in particular in South America did not last, probably because of their higher value. When a species resulting from marronnage is established in a territory and any more direct link with the man does not have, its perenniality seems to depend only on this last, which can in certain cases eliminate them by surchasse, recaptures animals for their eigenvalue or by a will of eradication for economic motives or ecological.

Harmful effects and interests of the marronnage

ecological Harmful effects: The populations resulting from marronnage which colonize a medium can have an significant impact on the ecosystem: by predation (plants or animals) or by competition on the indigenous species. They constitute a big part of the invasive species, and thus join these problems.
genetic Pollution: When the wild animals hybrident themselves with animals of domestic origin. One quotes the cases of the Canard mallard, the Sanglier, the Pigeon biset, the wild cock (Gallus gallus) but also the carp and more recently the Saumon. One notes even the case of the nutcase, itself resulting from marronnage remote, which hybrid with dogs of European origin. Contrary this problem never seems not to be raised for the rabbit. Does this phenomenon definitively compromise the purity of a wild species? In the case of the duck mallard, for example, the phenomenon is old: it is considered that there is no more representative of the species which does not have any domestic ancestor. This species is however not put in danger by this contamination.

economic Harmful effects: It is typically about the competition which these maroon animals exert on the pastures of livestock, and degradations that they can cause with the fences, at the water points, even on the ground and the vegetation by overgrazing. It is the case of the horses in bovine cattle-rearing areas in the United States, and of the goats in ovine cattle-rearing area in Australia. One also notes the embarrassment which with the stockbreeder the presence of congeneric savages of his animals can cause; their presence and their cries excite the pets and push them to escape, then they are pulled by the wild group rather than to remain in the surroundings: guinea fowls in Africa, horses. Sometimes lastly, one reproaches these populations their role of reserve of transmissible infections to the pets.

Economic interest: The maroon animals can be driven out or captured and thus constitute an important resource. It was the case of the Mustang S captured and dispatched in great number in Europe for goes up armies, until the First World War included. It is still the case nowadays goat's milk cheeses and maroon dromedaries Australian, captured and exported for their meat, or also like live animals for the seconds. The animals could at certain times being deliberately slackened on islands to constitute a resource at the end of a few years.

scientific Interest: The populations of maroon animals are very rich subjects of studies as regards Dynamique of the populations, of ecology and behavior (ethology) in a wild state of species known mainly in a domestic state. Their observation can be rich lesson for the stockbreeders or holders of their congeneric servants.

patrimonial Interest: The populations marronnes preserved or developed characteristics which one always does not find in their congeneric servants. They thus form races (rustic) constitutive of the domestic biodiversity. These races thus deserve often to be preserved, that it is in the medium where they are installed or with the state domesticates after recaptures. The species marronnes aimed by programmes of eradication in Australia or New Zealand are the subject of inventory of their patrimonial interest for their safeguard if necessary (sheep, asses, horses…) The American Mustang S were protected as from 1971 from massive demolition under emblems from the history from the American West.

zootechnical Interest : These races constitute a genetic resource for the breeding, particularly for the extensive breeding, being particularly well adapted to their medium.

Conclusion

It is difficult to determine the transformation which the domestication of a species represents, and to predict his capacity to be allocated to the wild state and one observes that species very in the past domesticated and who appear the most transformed by domestication appear completely ready to do without the supervision of the man. The questions outstanding about the wild state include:

1. Which are the differences between an entirely established population marronne and her domestic ancestors?
2. Are the populations returned in a wild state of long time comparable with the species of pre-domestication, or with other animals ever domesticated?
3. Do these populations always offer good prospects for Re-domestication, i.e. maintain the features of their adaptation at the domestic state?

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